Jobs

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join the Westmorland and Furness Council Legal Team as a Senior Lawyer to assist with the Council’s litigation and prosecution work.

The Legal Team is made up of a dedicated, close-knit and supportive team, dedicated to providing a first-class legal service to clients and striving to support the Council’s aims and improving outcomes for the wider community.

About this opportunity

As a Senior Litigation and Prosecution Lawyer, you will conduct a caseload of litigation and advisory matters, including the conduct of litigation proceedings in the following matters:

• Prosecuting criminal matters (including trading standards, education, fly-tipping, licensing, waste enforcement, food hygiene and highways offences)
• Planning, Housing and Property Litigation (including Town and County Planning 1990 matters, possession claims, anti-social behaviour, nuisance, licensing and enforcement actions under the Housing Act 2004)
• Civil litigation (including contractual, commercial disputes and debt recovery)
• Inquests and judicial review

About you

You must be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or CILEx fellow (with practicing rights) with substantial litigation experience.

You will be a confident, tactically aware senior litigator and advocate with strong file management skills and a track record of successfully representing your clients in courts and tribunals.

You will be a strong team player with a proven track record of delivering to deadlines, have effective communication skills and be able to use sound judgement to solve problems. You will be used to working in a busy pressurised environment and will enjoy a challenge.

A commitment to delivering the best possible service for the benefit of our residents and clients is important and you must have good IT literacy skills and an ability to use electronic publications for the purpose of legal work and research.

Other duties will include:

• Deputising for the Group Lawyer – Employment and Litigation, attending Council Committees and working groups as required
• Manging other lawyers and legal officers in the team

Who we are looking for…

You will be an experience lawyer and a strong team player with a proven track record of delivering to deadlines, have effective communication skills and be able to use sound judgement to solve problems. You will be used to working in a busy pressurised environment and will enjoy a challenge. A commitment to delivering the best possible service for the benefit of our residents and clients, is required.

You must have good IT literacy skills and an ability to use electronic publications for the purpose of legal work and research are critical. Other duties will include dealing with a range of matter including providing advice to officers and elected members, attending Council Planning Committees and working groups as required.

What can we offer you!

Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site. Our benefits | Careers (westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk)

Would you like to find out more?

For further information about this role, such as responsibilities and essential criteria please view the below attachments:

• Post Specification
• Role Profile

Application and Interview information

Closing date: 12th June 2026

Company: Westmorland and Furness Council

Salary: £56,883 - £59,198

Location: Cumbria, Cumbria

Sector: Corporate Services

Sector: Corporate Management Team

Sector: Legal

Job Role: Solicitor